Seat furniture unit which is convertible into a bed



Nov. 18, 1969 L VIEHAUS 3,473,371

SEAT FURNITURE UNIT WHICH IS CONVERTIBLE INTO A BED Filed Dec. 12, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG./

Ludwig Vi e'haus Invenfor.

By wAttomey L. VIEHAUS 3,478,371

SEAT FURNITURE UNIT WHICH IS CONVERTIBLE INTO A BED Nov. 18, 1969 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 12, 1967 Attorney United States Patent Int. Cl. A47c 17/13 US. Cl. 5-37 8 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A convertible seating unit having a backrest and a support frame within which a bedclothes drawer is movable. The unit has a pair of superimposed cushions hinged together and coupled with the drawer such that the underlying cushion is first drawn out and entrains the drawer.

The latter swings the backrest into the plane of the bed and the space between the backrest and the underlying cushion is filled by flipping the overlying cushion into the gap.

This invention relates to a furniture unit for seating purposes, which can be converted into a bed, particularly a bench, couch or sofa which can be of the so-called convertible type, transformed into a double bed. The convertible seating unit with which the present invention is concerned is extensible transversely to its length to the bed or sleeping position, two cushion elements forming the lying surface in the bed position are superimposed when the unit is in seat position and the backrest is adapted to be swung down. In a known unit of thiskind, a relatively expensive linkage comprising a multiplicity of parts and hinges is required for the movements of the parts necessary to transform the seating unit into a bed.

It is an object of the invention to simplify the kinematic arrangement of members to accomplish such movement. This object is accomplished by providing the unit with a bedclothes drawer which is transversely movable and guided in the frame of the unit and on pivoted arms which are rigidly connected to the backrest and guided on the frame of the unit. By moving out the bedclothes drawer the backrest is moved into the lying surface and by moving in the bedclothes drawer the backrest is erected. For moving the bedclothes drawer a carriage is provided which is Zl'so transversely guided and movable in the frame of the unit and serves for supporting the superimposed cushion elements.

The provision of this arm results in an automatic pivotal movement of the backrest, e.g., by a cooperation with an inclined cam guide, and it is suflicient to provide a single pivot at each end of the bedclothes drawer.

Owing to this highly simplified kinematic arrangement, the automatic swinging mechanism according to the invention has the great advantage that a resilient element can easily be provided to oppose the torque which is due to the weight of the backrest. To this end, each arm may be provided with a resilient element which opposes the torque which is due to the weight of the backrest.

The resilient element may consist of a tension spring and be stretched between a bracket on the end wall of the bedclothes drawer and the arm. Because the bracket for the spring is directly provided on the bedclothes drawer, the load on the individual parts of the unit is minimized as the spring force is taken up by the end wall of the bedclothes drawer.

In conjunction with the arms provided by the invention it has provided suitable to support the carriage, which is transversely movable and guided in the frame of the "ice unit, on the floor by means of rollers at the forward of the carriage in order to reduce the load on the components and to simplify the transformation of the seating unit into a bed and vice versa. The mechanism may be further simplified and the inclined cam guide, which involves certain disadvantages regarding its manufacture and mounting, may be avoided if, according to the invention, at least one link is pivoted to the backrest and at its other end is pivoted to a fixed part of the unit, preferably the armrest.

Further details of the invention will become apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing, which shows by way of example embodiments of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation showing the seat furniture unit. Solid lines are used to illustrate the bench or seating position and dashed lines to illustrate the bed position of the unit. The near armrest is removed in this figure to facilitate understanding of the mechanism.

FIG. 2 is a partial front elevation showing the unit according to the invention.

FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are views showing modification of the locking of the carriage, whereby FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of the arrow IV in FIG. 3.

The bench according to the invention comprises a frame 1, which consists substantially of two armrests 2 the base 12 and a rear cross member 3. Further cross members, not shown, may be provided, if desired. A seat cushion consists of two cushion elements 4 and 5, which in the bench position of the unit are superimposed and in the bed position lie one beside the other. The elements 4 and 5 are articulatedly connected at the rear and 7 of their interface 6. This articulated joint may be provided, e.g., by a seamin the common covering of the cushion elements. The cushion elements 4, 5 lie on a carriage 11, which is movable transversely to the longitudinal direction of the bench (i.e., to the right in FIG. 1). The cushion element 4, which is below the other in the bench position, is suitably firmly connected to the carriage.

The forward side of the carriage 11 is supported on the floor by rollers 13. That end of the carriage which trails during the extending movement is mounted on sliders 8 which glide in longitudinal guides 9 provided in a bedclothes drawer 14. The bedclothes drawer is mounted on rollers 15. Each end face of the backrest 16 is provided with a depending arm 20, which extends below the backrest and which is connected by a pivot 21 to the end wall 22 of the bedclothes drawer 14 and has an extended free end 23, to which a tension spring 24 is connected. The other end of the spring is secured to a bracket 25, which is also secured to the end wall 22 of the bedclothes drawer 14.

The tension spring 24 is designed to compensate at least part of the torque which is due to the weight of the backrest 16 so that the work required to extend and retract the bedclothes drawer is minimized. As shown in FIG. 1 a spring 24 may be arranged also above the pivot 21.

A link 27 is pivoted to a pin 17 of each of the arms 20. The other end of each of the links 27 is connected to a pivot 26 secured to the armrest 2.

To convert the bench into a double bed, in which part of the lying surface is formed by the backrest cushion, it is sufficient to pull out the carriage 11. When the carriage 11 has been almost completely pulled out of the frame 1, the bedclothes drawer 14 will follow by means of the sliders 8 the continued movement of the carriage. The sliders 8 abut the front end of the drawer (broken lines in FIG. 1) to pull out the latter. In response to this movement of the bedclothes drawer, the backrest 16 is moved in the counterclockwise sense about the pivot 21 in of.the;.swur n w in si iqniDur n is movementdhe.

wardly so that the cushion elements 4 and 6 and the backrest cushioni16 form a closed lying surface. Forretco nversion to avbench, the operations described hereinbefore are performed in the reverse order.

. Instead of the links 27 may be provided a guide19 (dotted lines in FIG. 1) on the inside surface of the armrest 2. 'The backrest 16 is provided with a roller or a pin 17 which is guided in the guide 19. In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2'in the bench position the sliders 8 lie below the rear cross member 3 in order to avoid a tilting of the bedclothes drawer 14.

In order to prevent a tilting of the bedclothes drawer it is also possibleto provide an inclined plane 30 on the end wall 22 of the bedclothes drawer (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The said plane cooperates with a second inclined plane 31 mounted on the base 12. The plane 31 is formed as an elastic strap and is adjustable with a screw 32.

What I claim is:

1. A convertible seating and bed unit, comprising a horizontally elongated support frame; a carriage mounted in said frame for movement transversely thereof; a pair of superimposed cushion members mounted on said carriage for entrainment therewith transversely to said frame and including an underlying cushion member adapted to be drawn away from said frame and an overlying cushion member adapted to be swung into a bed plane common to said underlying cushion member; a backrest swingably mounted on said frame; a bedclothes drawer slidable transversely on said frame and adapted to be entrained by said carriage upon the movement thereof out of said frame; and link means coupling said drawer with said backrest for swinging same into said bed plane upon entrainment of said drawer by said carriage whereby said backrest and said cushion members form a bed surface.

2. The unit defined in claim 1 wherein said link means includes at least one bar rigid with said backrest and r vptal y q e e u i rd iawer guid means n a s frame are directing said backrest from an upstanding into a recumbent position upon entrainment of said bar by said drawer, and a resilient element connecting said bar and said drawer and stressed upon movement of said backrest from said upright position'to'saidrecuinbent position for countering torque attributed to the weight of said backrest.'

3. The unit defined in claim 2 wherein said resilient element is a tension spring. 1 3 "T I 4. The'unit defined in claim 2 wherein said carriage has a forward end provided with rollers supporting said carriage, on the floor.

5. The unit defined in claim 2 wherein said guide means includes a link pivotally connected to said backrest and to said frame.

6. The unit. defined in claim 2 wherein saidcarriage further comprises glides slidably received insaid drawer.

7. The vunit defined in claim 6 wherein said frame includes a rigid cross member extending, transversely of the direction of .movement of, said carriage and said drawer, said glides lying below-said cross member.

8. The unit defined in claim 2,,furthereomprising means for supporting said carriage upwardly against said frame up on displacement of said carriage into the bed position of the unit.

References Cited v UNITED STATES PATENTS 

